When most people think of residential architectural design, they think of designing single-family homes. While this is a large part of what most residential architects do, it isn’t always the only thing they do—and it certainly isn’t the only thing we do at Grisafe Architecture. Our team takes on all types of residential projects, including those in the categories below:
Single-Family Custom Home Design
Custom home design typically refers to the design of a home that will be built from the ground up. It could be a home that will be built on an empty lot or one that will go on a lot with an existing home that is to be torn down so a completely new home can be built.
When we work with clients on custom home design, we have extensive conversations not only about what they want their new home to look like, but also how they see themselves using it. We want to know things like: Do they hope to host large gatherings or do they want their home to be more of an oasis for their family? Is this their “forever home” where they hope to age in place? Do they want dedicated spaces for work or to pursue their hobbies? (We have included everything from home offices, to home gyms, to wine rooms, to home theaters in the custom homes we’ve designed.)
Designing custom homes can be so exciting because we are basically provided with a blank canvas on which to work! We aren’t limited by a home’s existing elements, such as its footprint, roofline, or load-bearing walls. We also get to work alongside our clients and create for them the home that they’ve likely been dreaming about for many years!
Single-Family Home Remodels and Room Additions
Another type of job that a residential architect will take on is a home remodel. Not all home remodels need the services of an architect, but if the project involves things like moving walls, turning a basement or attic into a livable space, or adding to the square footage of the home, a homeowner would be wise to hire a Long Beach architect to complete the design.
An experienced Long Beach architect can come up with creative ideas to capture interior square footage of a home, which we call “maximizing the building’s envelope.” This often involves repurposing little-used areas and strategically moving interior walls to make the best use of the home’s footprint.
If there isn’t enough space in the existing home to meet all the homeowner’s needs, we can design an addition to the home to give them more square footage.
Multi-Family Building Design in Long Beach
In addition to single-family homes, Grisafe Architecture also works with the owners of multi-family buildings such as duplexes, triplexes, and even apartment complexes in Long Beach. With these types of properties, the goals are often different than the goals of single-family home design. The units in multi-family properties are typically rented out, so we help building owners consider what types of layouts and amenities will appeal to prospective tenants. For example, when we worked with a client on the remodel of this multi-family building in Belmont Shore, we were able to give each unit its own laundry facilities, add lofts and private decks to the upstairs units, and increase the number of parking garages. We also gave the exterior of the building a facelift to help it stand out in the neighborhood.
A Long Beach Architect for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
Another type of residential design our Long Beach architecture firm undertakes is ADU design. This involves either taking an existing structure, such as a garage or pool house, and turning it into a living unit, or designing a small second residential unit from the ground up. How we design the ADU will depend on a lot of factors, which we talk about in depth on our page dedicated to ADU design in Long Beach.
Outdoor Areas
Often, we’ll design an outdoor area in conjunction with a home remodel or a custom home design, but there have been occasions when we’ve been hired just to design the outdoor space of a Long Beach home. In these situations, we will typically be brought in when there is some sort of structure to be built, such as a large shade structure over a patio area, an outdoor kitchen, or a pool house. However, our team is also highly experienced and talented in residential landscape design, so we can offer complete design plans for an entire outdoor area.
If you are looking for residential architectural design in Long Beach, California for any type of project, Grisafe Architecture would love to talk to you! Contact us today to set up an initial consultation so we can learn more about your upcoming project.
